Taking Family Photos

When my four children were small, there was no problem at all with taking their photos. Now, Ella at almost 21 is only interested in being behind the camera, George at 18 and Henry at 15 both point blank refuse. Only Flora can be relied on to provide a continuous record of visual imagery through her life. However, on Mother's Day I used all my emotional blackmail techniques, including the "I gave you life, the least you can do is let me photograph that life" phrase, and Henry agreed to a fast portrait session. Flora was not amused at having to share the lens with her twin - but did see the funny side of it after the first shot produced nothing but mutiny. So here are the best of the results, all taken within 3 very short minutes. The colour photos are SOOC with no editing or cropping. The b&w have been desaturated (obviously) with a few adjustments to contrast and brightness.

And finally, not forgetting the Mother who gave me life, here's one of her and Flora. Ella is back next week and I will make it my challenge to get one of all of us together...

Chicks and Kids

For those of you who loved the Tony Chick, he came from this wonderful book by Nicki Trench of Laughing Hens. I can't tell you how quick and easy he was to crochet - and will be giving these to all the children in my family!!! I still haven't had time to photography the little 'Alpine' socks I've been madly knitting for my twin nephews' birthday - by the time I get home from work the light really isn't right and I may have said somewhere in the past, but I really hate to use flash - well at least, I hate to use the little built in flash on my rather lovely camera. I've considered buying a stand alone flash gun - but to be honest with you, they are so expensive, that if I saved up the money for one of those, I'd rather go and spend it instead on a 100mm macro lens.... ah - wish on!! 

I was talking with friends at work the other day about the sticky state of our finances; February is always an awkward month as so many bills come in from Christmas. As Ms Organised here can also testify, having your tv licence, MOT and car tax all fall due at the same time is not the best way to manage finances.... I have almost, almost, made the final decision to sell my beloved Land Rover Defender (one of the 'proper' ones) once it's had it's MOT. I bought it to travel - but jobs and money don't really fit. It has been over three Alpine passes and wandered through France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany - and I feel that must be the extent of my adventures for the forseeable future - and let me tell you, it is an adventure when there are six in the car and you decided not to book any camp sites, hotels or hostels - in order to be freer to move on!!

Now, as you may have read, I have four rather wonderful children (well, I pretend the boys are wonderful most of the time). And children have been much on my mind this half term week. From arranging a new first time adult passport for the 16 yr old - and the traumas of finding necessary ID to get him through the security measures at the London passport office (bills??? with his name and address???? - how many 16 yr old boys have those???) - to youngest daughter leaving her phone on one of three possible trains - or even, possibly, her father's house - to finally the terrible news (for any parent) that one of eldest daughter's friends had had a horrific skiing accident and broken his back in two places..... Well, when it transpired that skiing accident was in fact, accident that occurred whilst on a skiing holiday, and young man in question had actually thought it was a good idea to climb an electricity pylon - well doesn't your heart freeze.... Any of you who have teenage boys must think "there but for the grace of God..." Why, why, why do teenage boys not develop any common sense??? This one was lucky to get away with two breaks in his back and and amputated finger from burns from 40,000 volts....
So, of all my children, only little Miss Youngest Daughter allows her photo to be taken - and very glad about it I am too - As a biased mother  I think she is extraordinarily beautiful - just like her elder sister, elder brother and twin brother.

New Year's Day

I haven't organised by pics very well, so today's blog is reading backwards, and you'll need to start from the bottom and work back to here! Oh, and my New Year's Resolutions are in pictorial form on Flickr!

After the excitement of climbing the tree, the 5 teenagers of the group recovered their cool and huddled together in a group, lagging behind the other adults who were way ahead, along with the 1 child who hasn't reached his teens and was running ahead with the dogs, unconcerned with any notion of appearances....
This poor tree had to suffer the climbing of all 6 kids, plus one extra grown one.... Mine often climb this particular tree - there a hundreds of trees on the walk, but they pick this one because there's a bench close by where I can sit.
For New Year's Eve we had another family over. They did the starters and puddings and provided Champagne, we provided main course and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and/or bacon, with Buck's Fizz for breakfast this morning. Breakfast didn't happen until 11.30am - and we finally managed to get out for our New Year's Day walk at 3pm! We went up to the Heath and found this tree, covered with multi coloured ribbons!! It looked very festive.

Yesterday, my end of year gift to myself arrived, from Amazon, via Royal Mail, at 7.05 am!! I have NEVER had a delivery that early. Needless to say, I was fast asleep, and managed to 'hear' the door after the event ran down the stairs in time to see a card on the door mat and the blur of the red Royal Mail van vanishing up the road into the still dark morning. Actually, I was so disappointed I felt like crying! I raced into some clothes, flew into the car and hared off to the sorting office, where I threatened to cry in front of all the postmen. Despite the fact that they had numerous signs up saying they didn't hand out parcels on the same day they'd attempted to deliver them, they kindly took my number, phoned me when the van came in and let me come back and collect!! I was over the moon as I'd taken advantage of Amazon's free delivery and they'd emailed me to say not to expect delivery until between 7th and 13th of Jan!

New Year's Day

I haven't organised by pics very well, so today's blog is reading backwards, and you'll need to start from the bottom and work back to here! Oh, and my New Year's Resolutions are in pictorial form on Flickr!

After the excitement of climbing the tree, the 5 teenagers of the group recovered their cool and huddled together in a group, lagging behind the other adults who were way ahead, along with the 1 child who hasn't reached his teens and was running ahead with the dogs, unconcerned with any notion of appearances....
This poor tree had to suffer the climbing of all 6 kids, plus one extra grown one.... Mine often climb this particular tree - there a hundreds of trees on the walk, but they pick this one because there's a bench close by where I can sit.
For New Year's Eve we had another family over. They did the starters and puddings and provided Champagne, we provided main course and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and/or bacon, with Buck's Fizz for breakfast this morning. Breakfast didn't happen until 11.30am - and we finally managed to get out for our New Year's Day walk at 3pm! We went up to the Heath and found this tree, covered with multi coloured ribbons!! It looked very festive.

Yesterday, my end of year gift to myself arrived, from Amazon, via Royal Mail, at 7.05 am!! I have NEVER had a delivery that early. Needless to say, I was fast asleep, and managed to 'hear' the door after the event ran down the stairs in time to see a card on the door mat and the blur of the red Royal Mail van vanishing up the road into the still dark morning. Actually, I was so disappointed I felt like crying! I raced into some clothes, flew into the car and hared off to the sorting office, where I threatened to cry in front of all the postmen. Despite the fact that they had numerous signs up saying they didn't hand out parcels on the same day they'd attempted to deliver them, they kindly took my number, phoned me when the van came in and let me come back and collect!! I was over the moon as I'd taken advantage of Amazon's free delivery and they'd emailed me to say not to expect delivery until between 7th and 13th of Jan!